₦airaland Forum

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snoopy:
I went to renew my H-4 stamp on Monday, 30th March, at the Lagos consulate.

Transcript.

VO: Good morning, can I have your passport and your wife's I-797 approval notice?

Me: Here it is

VO: So is it like you travel back and forth? (She asked this because i had traveled in and out of the US 3 times in the last 15 months on an H4.)

Me: Yes (Gave her the reasons)

VO: So that means for every trip, you have to re-apply for a visa. (she said this because of the single entry rule for Nigeria and appeared sympathetic to the stress of reapplying everytime)

Me: Yes, I know it sucks, but it is what it is.

VO: when did you get married?

Me: Told her

VO: Where does your wife work, state and establishment

Me: Told her

VO: Hope it's not too cold for you

Me: We try to adapt.

VO: Have you been to Gaza or do you plan on going to Gaza?

Me: No

VO: Do you plan to go to Havard?

Me: No

VO: So we now do what we call an online presence review, to keep things interesting around here. I will start that process today and you'll get an email when to come and pick up your passport (She said this, handing me a 221g slip)

The visa status changed to Approved on 1st April after the social media review and changed to Issued on 2nd April

One thing I picked up from that interview, like many have said here, is that they are not giving anyone in the banned categories, NONE!

They will ask you the regular questions to see if they can flag anything from your responses that they can record for future reference and still deny you with the yellow slip, which contains the presidential proclamation.

A traditional ruler in his late 70's who has travelled the length and breadth of this world with children in US, Canada, Uk, and has been to the US an uncountable number of times, dressed in his full traditional regalia, was denied, and the old man couldn't believe it. He kept asking the VO, who got frustrated at a point and had to tell him that it's not her fault but the instruction they were given and that no one in those categories can get a visa unless the ban is lifted regardless of qualification.

Everyone on the line already prepared themselves to be denied, as you could hear the murmuring. Even me, I had to start praying on the line because the gloomy atmosphere started getting to me even though my category is not affected. People were looking at me like I was an alien as I walked out because mine had a different outcome, as they could obviously hear the transcript, even though they put me on 221g.

A lady came for an F-1 interview without an I-20 and said the school cited the visa ban for not issuing her the I-20. Amentum didn't even allow her to enter the embassy premises, as they told her the I-20 is the basis for even scheduling the interview in the first place, and her "trying her luck" without the I-20 won't work.

The H-1b renewal should be seamless provided you are in status and have a valid reason to travel out of your place of employment, it is even easier than H-4, aside from the social media vetting, because they will first vet my spouse's H-1b status before vetting my own H-4.

Good luck.